Are you living the life?

As I wake up in the morning and take my first breath of air, I thank God that I have another day of life. Life is a precious thing. We could either live the life that He has called us to live, or we can refuse the life that He has offered and in return die in our sin. John describing Jesus in John 1: 4, 5 tells us, "In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood [overcome] it" (NIV) There are four things that we see in this passage of scripture that we can learn from. First of all, we see that "In Him is life." Jesus came to this earth to give us life. He has come to give us eternal life, and He has come to give us abundant life. Eternal life is the result of repenting and confessing our sin to Him, and believing in Him as our Lord and Savior. Abundant life is the joy of knowing that we are no longer going to hell, and we now have a personal relationship with God. Secondly, we see that, "Jesus was the light." When He stepped into His earthly ministry He was a light to humanity. He didn't hide that light, but He was literally the light of the world doing what the father had commanded Him to do. Thirdly, we see that, "The light shined in the darkness." Jesus exposed darkness. He called sin, sin and He did not compromise His agenda. He wasn't attempting to win a popularity contest with a dim light, but rather shined as a bright light for all to see. Fourthly, we see that, "The darkness did not overcome." The word used for understand in the Greek could also mean, to understand, to comprehend, or to overcome. Death could not hold Him down. He was victorious rising on the third day! I end with a series of questions. Are you living the life? Is your life a light to the world? Does your light expose darkness? Are you overcoming darkness with the light of Jesus?

What is a Whosoever?

The word "whosoever" is an Old King James word and is found 183 times in the Bible. It is not a band, a clothing line, or a party crew as some may think. A whosoever, by way of definition, means whoever, whenever, you or me. In the Greek language, specifically in John 3:16, the word could be translated as, everyone or anyone. In order to properly understand the word itself a person would have to look at the passage that it is found in and closely examine the context of the verse. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."(KJV) God, in His mercy and grace, sent his Son (His only Son) to the world out of love. In order to show the world this love, He gave His priceless possession, His very own son. Whosoever is the invitation that whoever would believe in Him as their Lord and Savior would not perish or go to hell. But they would be given the gift of eternal life and the promise of heaven. Becoming a whosoever is an opportunity, a privilege, a promise, and is something that should never be taken lightly!!!

Ownership (part 3)

Are you a slave of Jesus Christ? Has your life been separated for the gospel of Jesus Christ? Most people when they think of slavery usually picture it as something that was terrible historically. I would agree that slavery in this country was something that was terrible. However, being a slave for Jesus Christ is something that is all together different. The word Doulos, which is the Greek word for slave, speaks of complete ownership. It is a giving up of rights and disregarding oneself for the service of another. When Paul was writing to the Romans he said, "Paul a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God." (Romans 1:1) A bondservant of Jesus Christ must be one of choice, not of obligation alone. We are separated to Jesus Christ, but we are also separated to the gospel. The Master wants our life. He wants us to be obedient to Him and not serve any other gods. When we walk with the Master for the Master, we are indeed a slave of Jesus Christ. And that is a glorious thing.

Ownership (Part 2)

Thomas A Kempis has pointed out that the Christian should, "Come to serve, not to rule." So often, people will come to a church to find a position and not to help support positions. Jesus said, "but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant." (Matthew 20:26) If you want to be great in the kingdom of God then you have to be a servant. This concept, in the world today, is something that is sometimes mostly unheard of. The world will tell you, "if you want to be great, then you need to put your needs before other people." The Bible says if you want to be great, then you need to put the needs of others before yours. A servant is one who expresses submission or debt to another. It speaks of ownership, specifically that we are owned by the Master, and we are here to serve Him. When we serve others we are actually serving Him. When Jesus came to the earth he came to serve, not to be served. Have you come to serve?

Ownership (Part 1)

Years ago, there used to be a popular shirt which said, "Jesus is my homeboy." At the time I thought that was funny, but it caused me to ask, "Is Jesus really my homeboy, or better yet, is Jesus my friend?" The Bible says that, "A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24) I think there is a sense of responsibility, obligation, and even ownership in a friendship. When we become someone's friend we are giving them a part of our lives, and we trust them as our friend. One of the greatest examples of sacrifice is found in the life of Jesus. The Bible tells us that Jesus was a friend of sinners. It didn't matter where people were from or what they did as an occupation. He reached out to them and showed them His love. Jesus Himself made it very clear when He said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you." John 15:13, 14 The question I have for you is, "are you laying your life down for others, or better yet, are you laying your life down for the Savior?" Jesus demonstrated His love for us by laying down His life for us and going to the cross!